This Year, Baffert’s Best Pal Is What a Song

The $150,000 Best Pal Stakes, which will be run today at Del Mar, has belonged to trainer Bob Baffert in recent years.

Baffert has won the Grade II for 2-year-olds four of the last five years and five of the last seven and has the probable favorite today in the 6 1/2 -furlong contest.

What a Song, a $1.9-million purchase earlier this year at Barretts by Baffert for owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, will try to stay perfect in three starts when he takes on only four opponents in the Best Pal.

A Florida-bred son of Songandaprayer, What a Song was 3-10 when he beat maidens by 3 1/4 lengths on June 18 at Hollywood Park, then returned four weeks later to win the Hollywood Juvenile Championship by a neck as the 4-5 choice.

Victor Espinoza will ride What a Song for Baffert, whose wins in the Best Pal have come with Worldly Manner (1998), Flame Thrower (2000), Officer (2001), Kafwain (2002) and Roman Ruler (2004).

If he is to remain unbeaten, What a Song will have to defeat Bashert, who was second in the Juvenile for co-owner and trainer Bill Currin, and recent maiden winners A.P. Warrior and Corazondelcampeon. Longshot Plug Me In rounds out the cast.

Race of the day: Shamoan, who won the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 1, is among a dozen 3-year-olds scheduled to run 1 1/8 miles in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby today at Mountaineer Park. Jose Valdivia Jr. will ride the Irish-bred gelding for trainer Eoin Harty in the Grade III. The field also includes Southern Africa, who will be ridden by Jon Court, and Dover Dere, who has the services of jockey Patrick Valenzuela.

One for the road: Lilah goes first off the claim for trainer Bruce Levine and can win for the 13th time in 34 lifetime starts in today’s eighth at Saratoga. Richard Migliore will ride the 8-year-old Defrere mare, who was claimed for $100,000 out of a victory on June 29 at Belmont Park, in the $58,000 optional claimer at six furlongs.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Gentle Charmer in the second, Great Opinions and California Thunder in the third and Wheaton Hall, Apalachee Tiger and Thunder Maker in the fourth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 1/61. Money: Previous day/meet total: $5.80/$361.40. Total money bet: $378.